July 10, 2012 -- Shenandoah

Skyline Drive picks up where the Blue Ridge Parkway leaves off in the south. Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935 after the federal government forced resettlement of 465 families. Skyline Drive runs along the spine of the park, offering fabulous views of the mountains and valleys beyond.

View from an overlook on Skyline Drive

Our trip started in the rain, but once we were within 15 miles of Shenandoah, the rain stopped, and the skies cleared. The day turned warm and comfortable. Today, as yesterday, along the Blue Ridge, we had little company on the road. We stopped at many of the overlooks and enjoyed the expansive quiet, broken only by bird song. All along the roadside were large stands of wild sunflowers, cow parsnips, asters, milk weed, thistle, columbine and cohosh. So beautiful. We stopped and had lunch under a dogwood tree at one of the overlooks. It was an incredibly relaxing day.

What appears as stalagmites (growing from the ground) are just a reflection in the water

We traveled about 75 miles of the road, and exited at Luray, with our final destination as Luray Caverns. Discovered in 1878 by a local photographer, Luray Caverns is a huge tourist attraction for this area. Privately owned, they are so commercialized, we both had reservations about visiting. The $24 per ticket fee for an hour's tour seemed exorbitant. But earlier, we had read online that you get a $5 per ticket discount with a local store frequent shopper card. So we stopped at a store, bought the bread and snacks we wanted, and picked up a card. Reviews of the caverns were generally very good, so we decided to go. Boy, are we glad we did.

These caverns are truly natural wonders. The "rooms" are huge and dripping with limestone formations. There are pools so still that they are mirrors for the stalactites above (see the photo above). The effect is that it's almost impossible to determine where the water stops and the rocks begin. It's hard to stop looking at the illusion. There are huge formations that look like cloth draperies, massive columns, and even what they call a "Stalacpipe Organ". The tour was very informative, and the tour guide didn't hustle everyone along, but let people take their time to appreciate the caverns. If ever you are in this area, it's worth a visit.

Tomorrow, we head for the Great Falls of the Potomac.